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WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after a bipartisan bill he authored with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to crack down on elder abuse was signed into law by the President today. The Court-Appointed Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act helps to protect seniors from neglect and financial exploitation by strengthening oversight and accountability for guardians and conservators.

“The last thing senior citizens should have to worry about is being taken advantage of by the very people appointed to care for them,” Sen. Cornyn said. “This law will provide stronger accountability for legal guardians so we can better protect our nation’s elders from abuse and fraud.”

The Court-Appointed Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act, which passed Congress as a part of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, makes courts eligible for an already existing program designed to protect seniors. Under the program, state courts would be able to apply for funding to assess the handling of proceedings relating to guardians and conservators, and then make the necessary improvements to their practices. For example, the courts could conduct background checks on potential guardians and conservators, or implement an electronic filing system in order to better monitor and audit conservatorships and guardianships.